Cognitive styles, user acceptance and commitment to strategic plans in public organizations: an empirical analysis

Although strategic planning (SP) is advocated for public organizations, the effectiveness of public SP processes remains subject to debate. Underlying this debate is the lack of insights into the micro-level of public SP, and, specifically, the planning team members (PTM) responsible for plan formulation and implementation. This study addresses this research gap by investigating predictors of PTMU+2019s commitment to implement strategic plans. Drawing on information-processing theory, we hypothesize that this commitment is contingent upon the fit between PTMU+2019s individual information processing preference (i.e. their cognitive style) and SPU+2019s systematic, analytic and rational information-processing approach. Based on data gathered with 439 PTM from 203 Flemish municipalities, we find that PTM with a creating and planning cognitive style are more likely to be committed to implement the strategic plan because they find the SP process a useful administrative innovation for their public organization. Implications for public management are discussed.

Publication year:2016

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